Does the Caged Bird Sing?
by I have beans
Summary: The Titans haven't heard or seen Slade in months. Robin's obsession endangers the Titans again and in effort to stop him, they lock him in the tower. After a long mission, no one expected to come back to an empty room. Now that Slade is back, he has a plan for revenge. With the brave and noble leader gone, how can the Titans ever hope to defeat Slade?
1. Prologue

_Clear your mind._

He shifted and tried, he really did.

 _Let your mind go blank._

Why was this so hard? He took a few deep breaths trying to calm himself before he did something he would regret... Like almost killing the titans? Endangering himself multiple times? No. It was Slade. He did this. When Robin could get his hands on Slade he'd...

 _Robin!_

His eyes shot open in slight panic, purple ones gazed back at his. Raven took a minute to calm herself. These sessions were never easy when he was on edge like this. All it did was make Raven lose her concentration quicker.

"How do you expect me to help you if you can't even calm yourself?" Raven closed her eyes again levitating.

"I am trying. I just can't get _him_ off my mind." Robin closed his eyes again as well trying to calm his unraveled nerves. "It's easier said than done Raven."

"You need to trust me and let it go. I want to help you, but it's been difficult lately."

"Since the accident." Robin finished bitterly.

"No one blames you for that." The girl reminded.

"I blame myself. I could've killed you."

"That's why we need to do this. Let your mind go blank. Find a good memory and stick with it until you calm down, I can't help you like this."

"I know. I'm sorry." He sighed and tried to relax. Ever since the accident, he hadn't been able to sleep, he barely ate, while the Titans forgave him for what happened, he couldn't forget. It was just like that one night when he thought he was fighting Slade, but he was only hurting himself. Except this time was different. Slade was there, he knew it.

The more he thought of it, the more it angered him. Before he could think about what he was about to say, he blurted it out. "Did you guys even check _every_ part of that warehouse?"

Raven's eyes shot open, a cold glare sending shivers down Robin's spine.

"Yes Robin. We looked everywhere. Slade was not there. If he was, we would've found something."

"Then how do you explain the missing motors from all of those machines?" He snapped.

"Simple. That warehouse had been abandoned for years, those machines no longer work and you know that's a popular hangout for the teenagers."

"That doesn't explain what I saw."

"That's what I'm trying to figure out. We could do this if you would just calm down." Raven waited for Robin to take a few deep breaths before continuing. "Not every break in is going to be Slade. Not every crime is linked to him. Just because you have an obsession-"

"I am not obsessed with him!" Robin nearly yelled. "An obsession is unhealthy and wrong and-"

"And just like with Batman and The Joker, you wont get over it until one of you dies. I want you to be the one that survives, and you know this is an obsession. You keep everything of his locked in the room-"

"So I can track him and stop him from hurting other innocent people!"

"Robin. We haven't heard or seen of Slade in months. Why, after all that has happened, would he turn up now?"

"He still wants me Raven." His hands tightened to fists. "And he wont stop until he gets me."

Raven sighed trying to keep her irritation in check. It was bad enough Beast Boy irritated her, the last thing she needed was for Robin to do the same.

"Fine. Then let's try again." She closed her eyes and chanted quietly. _"Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos. Azarath. Metrion. Zinthos."_

Soon Robin closed his eyes and joined in trying to concentrate. The hero let her into his mind and they managed to replay that night without any problems. For the first time in months, Raven had actually gotten somewhere with Robin.

 **A/N: Short drabble, more to come if you want. This is the prologue to something beautiful. Review to let me know if you would like a real chapter 1. :)**


	2. Chapter 1: The Accident

**Chapter 1: The Accident**

 _The Titans reached the abandoned warehouse filled with old equipment and machinery. Robin stepped in and observed his surroundings. It was dusty, nothing more than another dead lead.  
_

 _"Be prepared for anything." He commanded and took out his staff. He felt something in is left ear, but when he reached up, nothing was there. Funny... it was almost like the device Slade had him wear, except it wasn't there...  
_

 _"Uh, so what are we doing here again?" Beast Boy wiped some dust off of one of the boxes observing it._

 _"Sources tell me there was a break in here." Robin replied with confidence._

 _"But Robin, shouldn't the alarm have activated at the time of the intrusion?" Starfire floated next to her friend._

 _"Yeah, none of us knew about the warning other than you." Cyborg added becoming skeptical._

 _"Dude, this isn't another one of your stupid "Slade chases" is it?" Beast Boy nearly whined. "The dude is gone! We kicked his butt!"_

 _The entire team noticed how tense Robin got all of the sudden._

 _"He's here and he's watching us. Now isn't the time for you to doubt me!" Robin growled, clearly on edge._

 _Raven put her hand on his shoulder. "Let's go back to the tower and calm down. You're getting worked up over nothing."_

 _Robin spun and swatted her hand off of him. "Nothing?! You call what he did to me nothing?! I'll tear this entire warehouse apart even without your help!" The hero stormed off, determination flowing through him like the ocean waves in a violent storm._

 _They stayed there for a little over an hour, all they found was dust and old machinery._

 _"I think he's finally lost it guys." Beast Boy suggested playing with an old robotic arm. "He actually managed to out-crazy himself."_

 _"Knock it off BB. None of us know what happened to him when he was with Slade. For all we know, Brother Blood could be helping create these hallucinations." Cyborg crossed his arms at the thought. "Slade might not even be behind this."_

 _"But that would not make any of the sense." Starfire pondered. "Brother Blood has not been associated with Slade, how could we be certain?"_

 _"That's true. But Slade is a powerful man. Maybe he got blackmail on Blood." Cyborg sighed. "I don't know... this just doesn't-"_

 _A cry echoed through the warehouse, all Titans looked to the area where their leader was supposed to be. The team rushed over hearing multiple grunts and cries coming from Robin._

 _"Robin!" Starfire cried to aid her friend but... no one else was there..._

 ** _'Fight Robin. Fight or I will kill them and force you to watch. Fight them. Fight them now!'_**

 _Robin heard it clear as day, and he didn't hold back. He hit the shocked Tamaranian out of the sky and into a pile of boxes, dust exploding in the air.  
_

 _"I can't see anything!" Cyborg called out. "Stop him!"_

 _"Dude! I can't even see where he-" Beast Boy was cut off by the sound of a loud crash, Cyborg was sent flying into a wall._

 _"Robin!" Raven called out trying to locate him._

 _"Raven!" Beast Boy cried out before a birdarang hit him, knocking him to the floor._

 ** _'That's it Robin. Don't hold back. Show them how capable you really are.'_**

 _Raven turned, the dust settling slightly. She was able to vaguely see around her. Movement caused her to turn to her left where she saw Robin charging at her. She barely dodged the attack.  
_

 _"Robin! Stop! I don't want to hurt you!" Raven called out. Robin glared at her._

 _"You wouldn't understand." He growled._

 ** _'What are you waiting for Robin? Get her! Get her now! That is an order!'_**

 _Robin cried out as he charged at her, his staff ready to strike her.  
_

 _"Azarath, Metrion, Zinthos!"_

 _His world went dark. The last thing he saw was his team gathered around him in disappointment._

 _When he woke, he found himself in one of the holding cells in the basement of the tower. He way lying on a cot, a single lamp dimly lit his surroundings and there were only a handful of books on the small table. The room was white with seemingly no doors, but Robin knew the door was part of the wall made out of the one way mirror. He knew his team was on the other side watching him, though he couldn't see them._

 _His utility belt had been taken away as well making him feel weak and small.  
_

 _A few minutes later, part of the one way mirror opened and in stepped Raven. It was silent for a long moment, the reality of the situation sinking into Robin's brain. He had attacked his team... that much he remembered. He also remembered Slade telling him to._

 _"Raven... I... did you find him?" Robin looked at her. First confusion crossed her face before realization._

 _"Slade wasn't there. He never was." Raven replied as the door closed locking them in._

 _"Yes he was! I saw him!"_

 _"Or so you claim. What if this is just another hallucination? We both know what happened last time and I don't want to see you beat yourself up over this again."_

 _"This wasn't like last time! He was there I heard him and I saw him! Why don't you believe me?" He stopped and tried to think logically. Maybe this was just another hallucination... Maybe he was going mad..._

Raven pulled out and looked to Robin. Anger, fear, and confusion all had a place on his face. The girl lowered herself until she was standing before him, his eyes opened and he stared back.

"So?" Robin asked wanting an answer.

"This isn't just something I can answer immediately. I need to be able to think about this thoroughly."

Robin scoffed. "You saw him and you're too afraid to admit it."

"No. I saw you. The voice telling you to hurt us, that was your own voice. When you thought you were fighting him, you were hitting the boxes with your staff. Slade wasn't there." Raven turned to the door. "And you are going to have to stay in here until we can figure out what's going on." Raven left and he was alone again.

He had already sat in that room for two months. He couldn't take much more. No training, no missions, nothing. He barely even got to talk to any of his fellow team mates, not that he blamed them. After all, he did attack them. He didn't think he'd be acting any different if one of the others attacked him...

Meanwhile, the titans were watching their leader pace around the tiny room.

"I wish to do the watching of Robin." Starfire announced.

"No." Raven replied.

"Ooh, I think Rae Rae wants to do it tonight." Beast Boy wiggled his eye brows earning a slap on the back of his head from Cyborg.

"No. Starfire and I have been doing all the work. It's time you two pick up some of the slack. Starfire and I are going to bed. You two can decide who gets to stay behind while we rest." Raven turned with Starfire and the two left.

"So... have fun Cy, I think I hear Raven calling my name-"

"Oh no you don't!" Cyborg grabbed the green male by the collar of his shirt. "If I stay here, you do too."

"This is so boring though!"

"Yeah, why do you think I don't want to be stuck down here alone?" Cyborg argued. The two went at it loud and long until Raven came up through the floor, her eyes white with rage.

"If you two don't knock it off, figuring out who is going to watch him will be the least of your problems!" The two silenced immediately.

"Rae, we have nothing to do down here." Raven threw a pack of cards at Beast Boy.

"There! Now stop arguing!" The girl sank into the floor disappearing.

"Great job Beasty. Now you made her mad." Cyborg sat on the floor.

"Not my fault! She practically stays mad!" Beast Boy sat across from the other. "So... wanna play war?"

"Yeah. Nothing else better to do anyway." Cyborg shuffled the deck and dealt out the cards.

After a few hours, the alarm went off, even Robin heard it. The hero stood and looked to the mirror hoping just maybe they'd let him out.

He waited... and waited... and nothing...

He sat back down on the cot, disappointment flooding through him. Of course they wouldn't let him out...

* * *

The Titans arrived to find Dr. Light destroying most of Jump City.

"Great. The cherry on top of a fantastic week." Raven said sarcastically.

"Titans! What a surprise!" The villain called out with a smile plastered on his face.

"Take a hint and stay in jail." Cyborg called back. "I'm getting real tired of seeing you around."

"I have a plan this time! Have you ever fought at the speed of light?!"

"Dude! Enough with the puns!" Beast Boy cried out. He looked up just in time to be shot back by a beam of light.

"Beast Boy! You need to focus!" Raven growled.

"But how are we supposed to succeed without the guidance of Robin?" Starfire asked, her confidence disappearing.

"We don't need him Star. We can do this!" Cyborg smiled at her confidently.

"But... Robin is the one to help up when we are in trouble." Starfire added.

"Uh... guys..."

"Not now Beast Boy!" Raven yelled already feeling irritated.

"Star, stop worrying!" Cyborg called to the Tamaranian.

"Guys! Anyone notice Dr. Light is gone?!" Beast Boy yelled. The entire team turned to find he was, indeed, gone.

The journey back to the tower was silent and depressing. The same villain they defeated countless times slipped away due to their distraction. Maybe them not having Robin was a bad thing... It had been two months and they had been slowly falling downhill. Between Raven's uncontrollable temper, Starfire's many repeated questions, Beast Boy's countless "uh-ohs" and Cyborgs swollen ego, they were lacking. Robin was usually there to keep Beast Boy focused, Starfire happy, Raven calm, and he gave Cyborg boundaries. He was the glue to a team that really didn't go with each other.

* * *

"Titans caught red-handed helping Dr. Light escape authorities?!" Cyborg slammed the paper on the table. "The dude just got away! It happens!"

"Not to us. We are usually the compatible." Starfire picked at the pizza. She wasn't really hungry, just disappointed.

Beast Boy slouched over and rested his head on the table. "We suck at this. Ever since Robin's temper tantrum-"

"Enough." Raven snapped. "Everyone has a breaking point, you whining about it fixes nothing." She stood and stormed off to her room.

"Jeez, what's her problem?" Beast Boy scoffed. Starfire was the next to leave shortly after Raven.

"Just stop Beast Boy." Cyborg left as well.

Beast Boy groaned. This was so hard. No, it was too hard. The day was quietly spent alone in their rooms. How were they going to get through this without Robin?


End file.
